Vietnam is the world's third-largest exporter of rice, after Thailand and the USA. Oil production at 99,100 b/d is negligible by world standards, but sufficient to make it Vietnam's biggest export earner. Oil and gas exploitation is undertaken by VietSovPetro, a joint venture with Russia. However, Vietnam is linking up with new partners, including the Australian company BHP and British Gas. Mobil Oil is also signing new deals, having abandoned its interests in the face of advancing communist troops in 1975. Vietnam has considerable unexploited gas reserves in the South China Sea; gas from the only producing field currently has to be flared off.
Northern Vietnam has a surplus of electricity. A new power line will make this available to the South.
